Cycads are ancient, woody plants with large, pinnately compound leaves that cause them to often be confused with palms or ferns, though they are not closely related to either. The cycads comprise the order of Cycadales and, along with ginkgoes and conifers, comprise one of the world’s major groups of gymnosperms, plants that bear naked seeds. The cycads have inhabited the Earth for well over 200 million years, first appearing during the Permian Era. Their distribution and numbers were much greater than they are today, especially during the Jurassic Period, which is sometimes referred to as the “Age of Cycads.” Only 11 extant genera of cycads are recognized containing only a few hundred species, many of which are rare or endangered. The slow growth and population turnover characteristic of many living cycad species has contributed to their decline, as has habitat destruction and over collection.